Effect of refractive status on retinal nerve fiber layer thickness in Chinese Population

Purpose To evaluate the relationship between retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness and other related parameters measured by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography and the refractive error of eyes. Methods A total of 5394 subjects were enrolled in this population-based cohort study, who were divided into three groups by refractive state after they underwent a standardized ophthalmic examination: emmetropia (the absolute value should range from 0 to 0.5 D), low-moderate myopia (the absolute value of myopic error should range from 0.5 to 6 D), and high myopia (the absolute value of myopic error should be over than 6 D). R 3.6.1 software was adopted for statistical analysis. Results Two thousand five hundred fifty-two subjects (4548 eyes) were collected in this study, with an average age of 53.14 ± 10.64 years. There were significant differences among groups in average central corneal curvature, spherical equivalent, and axial length ( P < 0.001). The measurements of average retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) were 113.95 ± 10.62 μm, 112.97 ± 11.59 μm, and 101.88 ± 15.67 μm, respectively, in the emmetropia, low-moderate, and high myopia groups ( P < 0.001). Meanwhile, there was a decreasing trend of cup area, cup volume, disc area, and rim area in the high myopia group compared with the emmetropia group ( P < 0.001). Conclusion The measurements of RNFL thickness vary greatly with refractive error, and this study indicated that it is of great significance for the accurate diagnosis of glaucoma to establish an individualized RNFL thickness database.